After 20 years of cooperation, Tongji University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a new round of memorandum of cooperation. On the occasion of 20 years of cooperation between Tongji University and UNEP, the signing ceremony of a new round of memorandum of cooperation between the two sides was held both online and offline on the afternoon of April 28.
Sonja Leighton KONE, Acting Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, LIU Jian, director of UNEP Science Division, Brennan Van Dyke, director of innovation and Development Department of UNEP Science Division, ZHANG Linxiu, representative of UNEP Ecology Division and director of international ecosystem management partnership program, Kerstin Stendahl, director of ecosystem integration division, SHENG Fulai, senior project management officer of UNEP economics division, Pierre Henri Boileau, head of UNEP global environment outlook, Thierry de Oliveira, senior project officer of UNEP Science Division, Mahesh Pradhan, project management officer of UNEP Ecology Division, ZHANG Jinhua, Regional Coordinator of Environmental Review of UNEP Asia Pacific Office, TU Ruihe, UNEP representative in China, and representatives of UNEP Science Division, ecology division, economics division, education division, Asia Pacific office and Beijing office, XIA Yingxian, deputy director of the Department of international cooperation of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, MAO Lijuan, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, CHEN Jie, President of Tongji University, LV Peiming, executive vice president, and the heads of the administration departments and other colleges of the university attended the signing ceremony. LOU Yongqi, vice president of Tongji, presided over the signing ceremony.
Thumbs up for the signing of new round of memorandum
Sonia Leighton KONE said that UNEP is committed to promoting climate action and environmental policy-making through rigorous and professional research, and the partnership with Tongji University is an important part of its work in China and the Asia Pacific region. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of cooperation, the two sides joined hands in opening a new chapter of cooperation and pushing the cooperation to a new level. She hopes that the two sides will take this anniversary as a new starting point and continue to carry out in-depth cooperation on major global issues such as global environment outlook, climate change and circular economy to serve the sustainable development agenda.
Sonia Leighton KONE at the signing ceremony
MAO Lijuan remarked that over the past 20 years, Tongji University and UNEP had achieved fruitful results in cooperation. It is hoped that Tongji University will give full play to its disciplinary advantages and international characteristics, continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with UNEP, lead and drive more universities and research institutions at home and abroad to participate in relevant cooperation, and contribute more wisdom and strength to the demonstration and guidance of green and sustainable development in the Yangtze River Delta, the whole country and even the world.
MAO Lijuan at the ceremony
According to CHEN Jie, under the guidance of UNEP and with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Shanghai, Tongji University continued to focus on sustainable development, applied the concept of sustainable development and environmental responsibility in the practical work of the University in building a world-class university, and implemented the United Nations sustainable development goals with deeds. The UNEP–Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development, jointly founded by the two sides in 2002, has achieved fruitful results in serving the high-quality integrated sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta, cultivating international talents in sustainable development, carrying out high-quality research in sustainable development, and participating in international affairs in sustainable development. Facing the future, Tongji University will work with universities around the world to further disseminate the concept of sustainable development in the higher education system, cultivate talents for global environmental governance and sustainable development, and contribute to the realization of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal.
CHEN Jie at the ceremony
UNEP and Tongji University jointly signed a cooperation agreement on the establishment of UNEP- Tongji IESD in 2002 to strengthen research and personnel training in global environment and sustainable development. In 2007, during the centennial celebration of Tongji University, UNEP and Tongji University jointly signed a university level cooperation framework. Since then, the two sides renewed the framework cooperation agreement in 2012 and 2016 respectively, and signed a special agreement of "Tongji University UNEP Partnership Plan" in 2020.
Sources：https://news.tongji.edu.cn/info/1003/80815.htm
